Lakbay Norte 3: Rediscover the North

I was hoping to publish a couple of entries while travelling to different places in the North. But every time I checked in the hotels we were assigned to, I was more excited to hit the sack to get some much-needed rest. The Lakbay Norte 3 trip has ended but I’m still getting a hangover from all the activities we did.

Lakbay Norte is a media tour set up by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB) to introduce different media groups about travelling and the places to visit in North Luzon. With the banner “Rediscover the North”, NPVB and its partners (Manila North Tollways Corporation, Mcdonalds, Robinsons, Smart Communications, and Victory Liner) helped each other in showcasing that there’s still a lot of places that are undiscovered in the North.

Lakbay Norte Bus
Let me just say that the bus was really attractive!

Travelling on a Victory Liner bus for 8 days in North Luzon (Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Cagayan, Kalinga, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Baguio, Pangasinan, Tarlac Subic Bay, Clark, Pampanga).

Adventures

I’m so glad that the theme for this year was “Outdoor Adventures in North Philippines” which mean that I had time to try out different physical activities. Spelunking, sport fishing, white water rafting, surfing, paddle boarding, airsoft, kart racing, offroad adventure, jungle survival; not to mention the karaoke night and a day of pampering.

 
jam-packed adventures during the trip!

Spelunking at Pinagrealan Cave, Bass Fishing at Cabanatuan, White Water Rafting in Kalinga, Surfing in Pagudpud, Paddleboarding in Paoay, Trekking & Tree Planting in Holcim Ecotrail, Airsoft in Baguio, Dawell Reivercruise in Dagupan, Go Karting at Kart City in Tarlac, Jungle Survival at Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Spa and Massage at Ritz Spa, Offroad Adventure at Puning Hot Springs in Greater Clark

Read more

Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2012 Schedule

The 17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark will be happening on February 9-12, 2012 at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

I’ve been wanting to attend this event since last year with so many hot air balloons being showcased. It’s a photographer’s treat to witness so much color in the air. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to drop by this year due to a trip that I’ve already planned. So I gave away two of my tickets to friends who’ll be able to join this festival.

A Weekend of Everything that Flies!

hot air balloon clark
photo source: Jep

This is a four day activity and below is the schedule of the balloon festival from February 9 to 12:

Read more

Lakbay Norte 3: Outdoor Adventures in North Philippines

I was so overwhelmed by the responses I received from my previous blog entry that I don’t know if I can come up with another ‘share-worthy’ post. But based on the comments, a lot of people have but a slight idea of my plans after announcing that I was going to resign in order to start a location-independent lifestyle. In reality, I don’t really have a clear idea on what I’m going to do. All I know is that I have a few tickets booked and I’ll pursue a freelance career online. Slow travel is what I aim to do. But before going on that trip, here’s an event that also helped me decide to resign earlier than expected.

Lakbay Norte 3 Adventure

I was chosen by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), along with five other travel bloggers, as part of a media group to tour Northern Luzon dubbed as Lakbay Norte 3: Outdoor Adventures in North Philippines!

lakbay norte 3 bloggers
Note: Photos were taken from the bloggers’ profiles without their permission. Peace guys! 😀

Read more

Sagada Trip: Trekking Aguid Rice Terraces

Eating a cup of agar-agar that I bought on the weekend Saturday market in Sagada, we rode a shuttle that took us to the starting point so we could trek down the Aguid Rice Terraces and see the Bomod-ok falls. Trekking Aguid Rice Terraces to Bomod-ok Falls Sagada, Mountain Province March 5, 2011 view from … Read more

Sagada Trip: Weekend Saturday Market

After the sunrise at Kiltepan Peak, we headed back to our inn so we could freshen up and eat breakfast. But we had to finish up fast as we were going to have another adventure by trekking to Bomod-ok Falls. Tita Myrna and Tito Raul decided to just stay to rest while we rode our … Read more

Sagada Trip: Kiltepan Peak Sunrise

I couldn’t recall what time our guide arrived at our guesthouse in Sagada. We needed to be up early so we could prepare for the sunrise at Kiltepan Peak. Coming from our crazy toploading ride from Banaue to Bontoc and even if one is never too old for a cave connection adventure, I still wanted … Read more

Of Travel Talks, Travel Interviews, and Travel Bloggers

I booked a ticket for Manila out of the blue. I didn’t have any trips as I’ve been saving for a travel fund I’m preparing for next year. But then this unexpected opportunity came up and I didn’t want to miss out on it. Or probably I was just looking for an excuse to go out and travel. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I pushed through with it.

In the middle of September, I spent my days attending travel talks, conducting podcast interviews and meeting travel bloggers.

Travel Talks by WeAreSoleSisters.com

I attended two travel talk events by the Sole Sisters. The first time I was a spectator and the second time I got to participate by sharing my ‘crazy travel story’ which was my bungy jumping experience at the Macau Tower.

soloflighted
photo by Lauren

It’s been a long while since I talked in front of a crowd so my nerves really got me. I think I did okay in relaying my adventure to the audience (I hope).

I was also surprised that a few people had introduced themselves saying that they read my blog. I’m honored and humbled by these readers who said that they found my blog useful – made me feel good that somehow, it has found its worth.

meetup
Thanks for saying “Hi” guys!

Read more

Sagada Trip: Side Trip to Banaue NO Rice Terraces

banaue to bontoc

After killing time in SM Mall of Asia, we proceeded to the Florida Bus Terminal in Sampaloc, Manila, so we could be seated. We were heading to Banaue en route to Sagada. Strategically, we bought our tickets in the morning for the 10:45pm schedule so that we could reserve seats ahead of time. We met … Read more

Sagada Trip: Never Too Old for a Cave Connection Adventure

Meet Tita Myrna and Tito Raul, she’s 52, he’s 53. A social worker in Bulacan and a tennis instructor in Abu Dhabi. They’re two of the most adventurous couples that I met during a trip in Sagada last March. They joined us in surviving the Cave Connection activity in this part of the Mountain Province. … Read more

Total Budget Expense in Anawangin, Nagsasa and Capones in Zambales

anawangin cove

Pundaquit Zambales Trip: Anawangin Cove, Nagsasa Cove and Capones Island
February 18-21, 2011

So how much did I spend in our trip to Anawangin Cove, Nagsasa Cove and Capones Island in Zambales? Around 2556.50 Php. Air Fare is NOT included though as it varies on the promo. But just to let you know, our fare only cost only 250 Pesos each… roundtrip.

The amount is composed of expenses from Cebu to Clark and going back to Cebu (including airport terminal fees).

It helped a lot that we were able to travel as a group (there were 4 of us) so we were able to divide our expenses. We made sure to stick on a budget on this trip and discussed our itinerary over a conference call in Skype to make sure that we stayed on track.

anawangin cove

Zambales Trip: An Afternoon Nap Under Pine Trees in Anawangin Cove
Zambales Trip: Exploring Anawangin Cove

nagsasa cove

Zambales Trip: Cooking and Camping in Nagsasa Cove
Zambales Trip: Morning Jog in Nagsasa Cove

capones island

Zambales Trip: Golden Cogon Grasses in the Island of Capones
Zambales Trip: Standing on Top of the Lighthouse in Capones Island

Read more

Zambales Trip: Morning Jog in Nagsasa Cove

Despite sleeping early after our cookout and campout in Nagsasa Cove, I still woke up late. I must’ve been exhausted at the time because my mind aimlessly wandered on trivial things I could’ve just worried about later on – going back to the office in a couple of days and thinking about my pending freelance tasks that were way overdue.

My eyes were fixated on the view from inside the tent and I didn’t want to get up. But the sun motioned me to step out.

Nagsasa Cove, Zambales
February 20, 2011

jogging nagsasa
who wouldn’t want a sight like this when jogging?
photo by Doi

I got out and saw my companions already taking photos of the beautiful Nagsasa scenery. Footprints were already present indicating how people have also awoken from slumber, taking advantage of the sand that was washed away by the previous night’s tide.

I used to wake up early even without an alarm to remind me. But it was too late to whine; besides, Nagsasa still holds its charm due to its stillness.

nagsasa landscape
footprints

nagsasa cove
wallpaper

Read more

Zambales Trip: Cooking and Camping in Nagsasa Cove

After taking our last dip in the waters of Anawangin Cove, we proceeded to another cove called Nagsasa. As described by others who’ve been here, Nagsasa Cove is a bigger and more secluded version of Anawangin. There aren’t as many people but it’s not as deserted anymore. Travelers who have more time to spare head … Read more

My 7 Links: Revisiting Old Blog Entries

Passing off a chain that came from word slayer blogger, AJ Poliquit, whose writing leaves me looking for tissues to wipe my nose. My 7 Links – This is a project by Tripbase “to unite bloggers from all sectors to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that … Read more